


Five Views of Alfreda Pennyworth's life

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Gen, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-24
Updated: 2013-05-24
Packaged: 2017-12-12 20:16:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/815589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfreda Pennyworth: Spy and Governess, at your service</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Views of Alfreda Pennyworth's life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elf/gifts), [Elfwreck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfwreck/gifts).



1\. Alfreda, more commonly called Freda, was a duty-conscious young woman as the German threat grew. France was very likely a point of contention, and after an interview with a well-placed minister, Freda found herself on detachment with special orders. She was merely an observer, and not a soul suspected her role as an agent of the intelligence community. Being there, on the ground, so to speak, provided her with entirely too much knowledge of the role of human suffering when corruption and power married.

2\. Long before the beach head was established by the Allies, spies and the like were working hand in hand with the Resistance. Freda, long since having been ferreted out as a potential spy and tagged as 'suspicious' by the cooperative puppet government, had wisely joined that movement. Her sharp eye and ear helped bring many of the spies into safety before the Germans or their puppets could catch them.

That this had led to meeting an over-eager young soldier named William Randolph Wintergreen would be fodder for the future… and lead to a most interesting dance of identities as the decades wore on.

3\. Life in America was by far a more quiet life, yet Freda did not mind much. Her charge was a gentle boy, hungry to learn all she could teach him, and oft-neglected by his parents. Granted they were quite busy, and that was to be understood, but Freda did all she could in her role as governess to see to his development. If her peers would be horrified to know she actually hugged the child from time to time, it mattered not one whit with her.

4\. That horrible night would live forever in her mind, yet it had dimmed with the years. Now, listening to Bruce as he confided about the small circus boy, she thought that there surely could be no god, for what Being would ever visit such callous tragedy to those so young? Calmly, she informed her employer that of course the boy needed the care of those who understood, and to bring him home.

Less than a week later, through expeditious payment, Dick Grayson was Freda's new charge… and the source of new hope for Bruce, as Dick taught the man to smile once more.

5\. It was Christmas, celebrated more as a combination of a time to be thankful as well as a time to share tokens of family affection, that Freda found the best. With the tree decorated, all the children home, and Bruce having begged a favor of a friend, Freda felt the manor absolutely steeped in love.

For a spy-turned-governess, this was certainly not the worst outcome it could have ever been.


End file.
